Life in a Minute

Time for updates of sorts, I suppose.

I'm not feeling the best, so it'll probably be short, sweet, and choppy. Enjoy.

I'm taking tae kwon do twice a week, and after less than a month I'm ready for my first test. This is what they do - they sucker you into a $40/month class. THEN you have to pay close to $70 for a uniform, which they don't tell you. THEN another close to $70 for your tests. Bah. However, I'm having fun at the moment.

Cristina is now an official RN and an LT in the US Army, and has moved down to sunny, nasty, hot, miserable, dry Texas. ;) GO CRIS! You deserved it. I do believe she also has a car and an apartment down there now as well.

Official Ratty Pickup - 6 pm this Friday. Plus the four hours up to the pickup and four hours back. >.< But we will have rattie babies soon. I have tentative official names, but I shall not disclose them yet.

Last weekend: Saturday - Dayton Air Show. Thankfully no crashes this time. It also was pretty crappy compared to previous years.

Sunday - down to Louisville for a visitation. One of my great aunts died on Friday. So Monday was the funeral. We spent the night at my grandmother's house - never was I so thankful for our home's water pressure and my bed. The dog was also determined to make my night living hell. I got no sleep. Oh well.

Next Weekend: Friday - Rattie pickup
Saturday - Dayton Celtic Festival
Sunday - well, we'll see when it gets closer.

All the time: Searching for a job.

Tschau!

For Nick.

... And anyone else who likes these. :P One is a live version; one is a short version. Both are fun.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=9lJQ-R6X8uw


http://youtube.com/watch?v=-g00Vf5i_SE&feature=related

Ki-hap!

So I've started Tae Kwon Do. It's very fun, if a bit painful. We were taught a few pressure points on Tuesday.... my arm and hand are still very sore. Perhaps if I hadn't been so proud and had shown emotion, he would have let up off the pressure points sooner. Somehow, I'm not thinking he would.

I really don't feel like posting much, esp since not too many read this, so I shall post things that I have intended to post for a while.

Actually, I'll be nice and only post them one or two at a time....

I'm sad. I must link. I cannot embed. *cries*

The song features a few famous faces, including Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander, actor William Shatner, and the Bachelorette herself, Trista Rehn.** If you don't like the music, you'll love Shatner at the end. Even if you don't like the music, which most of you won't, the actors themselves are funny. Fun spoof.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uEPe4fZNf74

** This section was taken from a Yahoo! reviewing who was in the video...

I'M GONNA BE A MOMMA!

I'll be able to pick them up in about two weeks... so when they're 6 wks old. :) Aren't they cuties!?

Happy Independence Day!

Don't forget to scroll down to the next post! Pictures and kayaking stuff on there!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!


Yankee Doodle (American Revolution)

Father and I went down to camp
Along with Captain Gooding
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty pudding.

Chorus
Yankee doodle, keep it up
Yankee doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy.

There was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion
A-giving orders to his men
I guess there was a million.

Chorus

And then the feathers on his hat
They looked so' tarnal fin-a
I wanted pockily to get
To give to my Jemima.

Chorus

And then we saw a swamping gun
Large as a log of maple
Upon a deuced little cart
A load for father's cattle.

Chorus

And every time they shoot it off
It takes a horn of powder
It makes a noise like father's gun
Only a nation louder.

Chorus

I went as nigh to one myself
As' Siah's underpinning
And father went as nigh agin
I thought the deuce was in him.
We saw a little barrel, too
The heads were made of leather
They knocked upon it with little clubs
And called the folks together.

Chorus

And there they'd fife away like fun
And play on cornstalk fiddles
And some had ribbons red as blood
All bound around their middles.
The troopers, too, would gallop up
And fire right in our faces
It scared me almost to death
To see them run such races.

Chorus

Uncle Sam came there to change
Some pancakes and some onions
For' lasses cake to carry home
To give his wife and young ones.

Chorus

But I can't tell half I see
They kept up such a smother
So I took my hat off, made a bow
And scampered home to mother.

Chorus

Cousin Simon grew so bold
I thought he would have cocked it
It scared me so I streaked it off
And hung by father's pocket.

Chorus

And there I saw a pumpkin shell
As big as mother's basin
And every time they touched it off
They scampered like the nation.


Other Verses:

And there was Captain Washington,
With gentlefolks about him,
They say he's gown so 'tarnal proud
He will not ride without them.

Chorus

There came Gen'ral Washington
Upon a snow-white charger
He looked as big as all outdoors
And thought that he was larger.

Chorus




Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812)
Johnny Horton

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

[Chorus:]
We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

We looked down the river and we see'd the British come.
And there must have been a hundred of'em beatin' on the drum.
They stepped so high and they made the bugles ring.
We stood by our cotton bales and didn't say a thing.

[Chorus]

Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets 'til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire 'til we see'd their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave 'em ... well

[Chorus]

Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.**

We fired our cannon 'til the barrel melted down.
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round.
We filled his head with cannon balls, and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind.

[Chorus]

Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.





Battle Hymn of the Republic (Civil War)


Mine eyes have seen the glory
Of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage
Where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning
Of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

Chorus
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires
Of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar
In the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence
By the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.

Chorus
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ
In burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with My contemners,
So with you My grace shall deal":
Let the Hero born of woman
Crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.

Chorus
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet
That shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men
Before His judgement seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him;
Be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.

Chorus
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom
That transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy,
Let us die to make men free;
While God is marching on.

Chorus
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.




Dixie (Civil War)


O, I wish I was in the land of cotton
Old times there are not forgotten
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

In Dixie Land where I was born in
Early on one frosty mornin'
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

Chorus:
O, I wish I was in Dixie!
Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand
To live and die in Dixie
Away, away,
Away down south in Dixie!

Old Missus marry Will, the weaver,
William was a gay deceiver
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

But when he put his arm around her
He smiled as fierce as a forty pounder
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

Chorus:
O, I wish I was in Dixie!
Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand
To live and die in Dixie
Away, away,
Away down south in Dixie!

His face was sharp as a butcher's cleaver
But that did not seem to grieve her
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.
Old Missus acted the foolish part
And died for a man that broke her heart
Look away! Look away!
Look away! Dixie Land.

Chorus:
O, I wish I was in Dixie!
Hooray! Hooray!
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand
To live and die in Dixie
Away, away,
Away down south in Dixie!



Over There (WWI)
George Cohan



Johnnie get your gun, get you gun, get your gun,
Take it on the run, on the run, on the run,
Hear them calling you and me;
Every son of Liberty
Hurry right away, no delay, go today,
Make your daddy glad to have had such a lad
Tell your sweetheart not to pine,
To be proud her boy's in line.

Chorus:
Over There, Over There
Send the word, send the word,
Over There
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum tumming everywhere
So prepare,
Say a Prayer
Send the word,
Send the word to beware
We'll be over, we're coming over.
And we won't be back till it's over over there!

Johnnie get your gun, get you gun, get your gun,
Johnnie show the Hun, you're a Son-of-a-Gun,
Hoist the flag and let her fly
Like true heros do or die
Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit,
Soldiers to the ranks from the towns and the tanks,
Make your Mother proud of you and to Liberty be true.

Chorus:
Over There, Over There
Send the word, send the word,
Over There
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum tumming everywhere
So prepare,
Say a Prayer
Send the word,
Send the word to beware
We'll be over, we're coming over.
And we won't be back till it's over over there!


God Bless America (WW2)
Kate Smith

God bless America
Land that I love
Stand beside her
And guide her
Through the night with a light from above
From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America
My home sweet home
God bless America
Land that I love
Stand beside her
And guide her
Through the night with a light from above
From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America
My home sweet home
God bless America....
My home sweet home

Kayaking

This post won't be long b/c it hurts to type. Went kayaking yesterday with Ben. It was mucho fun. I got a call during the trip from the parents to make sure we were safe, and to tell me about some awesome rats they found -- they wouldn't tell me more until I got home. The moment I got home we fought. Took over two hours of talking to get them to tell me anything. That was after about three hours of silence. Today, I have also gotten in trouble during the same topic as last night - dinner. Yes, dinner. If I open my mouth, I get in trouble. If I don't open my mouth, I get in trouble. Either way I have attitude. Either way I'm being disrepectful and a bitch to deal with. Either way I am trying to piss them off. Tell me - if I can't speak and if I can't stay quiet without getting in trouble, what am I supposed to do? Fall off the face of the earth? And how come they can be bitchy at me but if I respond - in a very reasonable tone I think - why am I still the one being a bitch? Why can they have bad days but I can't? My God.

Anyways, back to the topic. I have some pictures to post from yesterday's Kayaking trip. It was very fun, and lasted all day. Unfortunately I pinched nerves in both of my arms and they feel like they're on fire - I didn't sleep at all last night because of it. This too makes me a bitch somehow. I'm not sure what they expect of me.

Two days ago I mowed the lawn and went to my first Tae Kwon Do class. We shall see how that plays out.

Also, if I don't post at all tomorrow: Happy 4th of July! Hope you all have great fireworks displays and parties to attend! We're going to KY tomorrow. For me to get in trouble, most likely, for not being respectful enough. Or something. Thankfully only my parents tell me I have attitude. Everyone else makes a point to come talk to me. -_-

For the Canadian who reads this: Happy Late Canada Day!

Turtle!





We had our own private air show for a while:













These prints were huge. The bottom one was bigger than my hand in length, and the wide part was wider than my hand. Looks like a racoon, but I don't know any that get that big:

Under the tree:

The lovely Little Miami:



Great Blue Heron:

Again, but flying away from us:

On the way home:









That bridge is the last we have to cross before we return to our dropoff point, and thus, the end of the day:

Random

Random updates:

I was going to make a website for photography. I would really, really like to do some paid photography. However, I'm not sure anyone's in the market for that right now. And I'd want friends to practice on and to get photos up to show what I can do, so it's not all my stuff. And that isn't going to happen, I don't think. But yeah, I wanted to make a website to do some freelance stuff, but I'm not sure I can pull it off. The freelance, not the website.

I was going to make myself just a normal website again. Also doubting I'll do it, but for the reason that I really have nothing worthwhile to make.

I saw three movies recently: the new Indy movie, the new Narnia movie, and Iron Man.

Indy... sucked. Only thing that saved it was, well, Indy. But the movie itself just was not that good.
The first part of the movie, I admit, creeped me out.

***SPOILER ALERT***





I didn't like seeing the atomic bomb go off. I could deal with the mushroom cloud,
but I couldn't deal with the watching of people disintigrating before my eyes. It was much too realistic in my own mind. It still gives me the heebie geebies.




*** END SPOILER ALERT ***


Narnia was nowhere near as bad as people kept telling me it was. I happen to enjoy talking animals, however, and I enjoy Narnian adventures. Reepicheep was kickass as well.

Iron. Man. Rocked. It was very well done. I highly recommend.


It's storming here. I came inside because the lightning got a bit too intense to stay out of doors.

I am crocheting my purse. No one else likes the colors, but I do. So thbbt. I'm doing single stitches across the whole thing, which is very time consuming. It also isn't the pattern. But I hated the half double whatchamacallit, so I decided I'd do a single stitch. (No, you don't need to tell me what it's called. I'm just too lazy to think hard enough to think about it.) It *looks* pretty darn nice, I think. Right now it only looks like a short but wide scarf, or a very very small blanket. Ie, it's a rectangle right now. But the stitching looks cool. Unfortunately I'm a very tight crocheter. Meaning, someone else needs to start out the loose chain to begin the project, because if I do it, it's impossible to work with.

I want to make a blanket out of this material. It's soooooo sooooooooft. Maybe by time I start this I can start it myself.

I need to clean my room. Again. I got it clean enough to get permission to buy rats, then immediately after that permission, it was a complete hazardous site again. I'm just that good. However, if I want the rocking chair in here, I need to clean it. Again.

I can't come up with a name for my story. Character wise. Everyone likes the one name I am having issues with. We shall see what happens. And when Nick and Beth made me give them a summary of my idea in 50 words or less... it sounded rather... stupid. And cliche. And redundant. And I'm thinking that maybe I didn't have such an interesting story. Not that you can say much in 50 words or less, describing a whole story you haven't written. But when I tried, it was miserable, what I read.

I've been staying up till 1 or 2 in the morning all week. Watching the email. Afraid to leave the computer. I want those rats, dammit. This had all better not be for nothing.

I introduced Leigh to the world of dancing hamsters yesterday. I think I scared him.

My gerbils are on a diet. As is the cat, and my parents. I should be too, but I'm not that interested.

And... that about covers it.

To Appease Steph

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.


1. Wolves of the Sea - Pirates of the Sea
Pirates, people. A song about pirates. Sung by pirates. Helloooo. That and I love that it's frustrating Nick because he likes it now... :-p

2. Renegade - Styx
I just love this song. It makes me happy. I'm including Bohemian Rhapsody in this subheading too.

3. Citizen Soldier - 3 Doors Down
Always tears at my heartstrings. Le sigh.

4. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
Lifts up my spirits.

5. He's A Pirate - Pete n' Red's Jolly Roger Radio Edit - Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirate. Hellooo. I'm including He's A Pirate (normal) and Two Hornpipes (Tortuga) in this subheader as well.

6. Siúil A Riún - Anúna
Beautiful Gaelic/English song. Including Fionnghuala, Dúlamán, and Gaudete in this subheader.

7. One-Winged Angel (orchestral version) - Final Fantasy VII
Helps me vent out my frustrations. Also including Across the Stars (SW Ep 2) and Duel of the Fates (SW Ep 1) in this.


I tag: Nick M., Beth M., Cristina, Leigh (Even tho Steph tagged him first), Theresa if she still reads this... and... anyone else who reads my blog. *shifty eyes* So... no one else. Except Steph, who did this to me to begin with.

No, I didn't follow the rules exactly. They're more like guidelines, anyways. And I did pick seven. Just added a few that were similar in nature that could be substituted for the bolded songs...

On Puppies and Kittens, and Of Mice And Men

Perhaps a strange title, but hopefully I shall clarify by the end of the post.

Long time no real chat. I'm sorry.

I'm about to start crocheting (rather, attempting to crochet) two army surplus bags - one in all fall colors, and one in denim colors. It's a multicolored thread for both bags, and it should be pretty. I showed the yarn to Steph - she liked the denim one (it's fuzzy and blue/purple/maroon/white mix) as I figured she would. My favorite is the fall colored one - very rich orange, green, red, and brown mix. But it'd be a fall-only bag. We shall see how long it takes before I get too frustrated to care. [Edit: pictures of the colors / yarns are below... as is a picture of the purse]







I want to continue writing my story. Leigh is pushing for me to at least write SOMETHING. I just think, after second thought, my story has no point, so why should I write it? To me, there needs to be a reason for the story. Some climax, something interesting, something to be resolved. We shall see what happens. All I have is a prologue. Still.

Still on that job hunt thing. Yeah.

I'm returning the gerbils. The girls, not the boys. I'd never return the boys. Not that I could now anyways. I just am not very attached to the girls, and that's not fair to them.

My rats don't like anyone but me, and even I can't *hold* them. They're very playful and cute, but they're incredibly skittish. They absolutely love to play with me. But just a sound can send them running - hence, if I were to hold them, they'd dive off my arm and hurt themselves. And the puppies and kittens I think they're carrying. I think they're both pregnant (and the pups are called either puppies or kittens, usually). I can't handle pregnant ratties. One, the rats aren't social enough with me to be comfortable in getting the babies out. Two, I don't have the time, money, energy, or space needed for one litter, let alone two. Three, that's a lot of stress for me and the momma ratties. To top this off, I'm not sure if they'll get more social. I don't want to have them past their warranty.

My plan A for everything has sucked. Plan A and I just don't get along. Of Mice and Men. Urgh. Everything I've done this summer, I've ended up on like Plan XYM 542347. No joke; nothing is going right. Pfft.

Of kittens and puppies, and of mice and men... and until next time.

Currently out of snappy titles

Hello there, crazy ladies and germs.

Long time, no chat. And I'm betting less people read this because of that. Oh well.

I'm sure people would love pictures, and when I get around to not doing other stuff and uploading them to the computer, that will become a reality. Does that make people happy?

My cute, fat, rolly-polly boys (read: gerbils) are doing well. They're fat and sweet as ever. They're the cardboard-chewing, sunflower seed-eating, furry machines. I love them so much.

We have three new additions to the family, at the time of this post. We have two female gerbils now (no, I won't be breeding them) and one baby rat. The girls are smaller than the boys, and the rat is smaller than the girls. The girls may be going back... they have 12 more days to make me change my mind. We shall see if they stick around. The rat... is the size of a mouse. She's not even completely weaned yet, so I'm having to give her puppy milk and oatmeal several times a day to try to get her to eat and be full, as well as trying to convince her that those seeds really ARE good for her. I'm looking for a buddy for her, unfortunately, at this point in time I'm not even completely sure she's a her. But I think it is.

I'm also job searching right now. That... is a... fun... task. I hope I'll get a job I like. Unforunately I'm still not out of school mode, which I would rather be in. Mostly I'd like to be able to live at home. Cuts out SO many costs, and then I can save up and have a nice cushion of money before I reapply to grad school.

I went to the gym today. I realized one reason I've been so cabin feverish is because I'm used to walking everywhere, every day, for class, food, freedom, exercise, to clear my head, everything. At all times of day.

Now I can only go walking during the daytime or early dusk, I don't walk to class, I stay inside, etc. So I went and rowed on the rowing machine for about 40 minutes, then did some weights. I should have rowed longer. It was relaxing. Even if I didn't burn off as many calories as I'd have liked. I need to lose weight. And I don't want to eat the tasteless and nasty diet food. Which leaves: rowing. I don't like the other machines. :P

And for now, that is all.

I hope you enjoyed your visit and come back soon. :p